EPL Gameweek 1 Predictions & Tips 2026

Arsenal go into the opening game as short $1.18 favourites against Coventry City, and it’s easy to see why. The reigning premiers looked sharp in the Community Shield, putting Manchester City away 3-0.

It’s a tough start for Coventry, who aren’t expected to challenge near the top of the table. They could find goals hard to come by, especially if Arsenal start quickly and put them under pressure early.

The better value looks to be the $1.60 halftime/fulltime play. We’re expecting the Gunners to get on top early and stay there.

Manchester United will be hoping to hit the ground running this season after a slower start to last year, and Benjamin Sesko looks like a strong candidate to lead the way in the goal-scoring department.

Sesko found the back of the net 11 times in 30 appearances last season, and with a full campaign under his belt, there’s plenty of reason to think he can take another step forward in 2026/27.

At $2.15, Sesko to score away from home against Hull City is a good price from the TAB.

Crystal Palace looks like a team we can get behind this season, and starting with a win away to Everton would be a pretty good way to kick things off.

It’s not the easiest opening assignment, with Palace heading to Hill Dickinson Stadium, but they showed plenty of promise last season.

Everton haven’t exactly enjoyed their recent Gameweek 1 fixtures either, losing all four of their openers in the last four years. That makes the $3.25 about Palace look appealing.

Ipswich Town are back in the Premier League, but they could be in for a tough game, with Sunderland priced at $2.50 to win away from home.

We’re expecting Sunderland to have a strong season after finishing their last campaign well. There’s plenty of quality in this squad, and they look capable of pushing towards the top six if things fall their way.

Brian Brobbey could be the difference here. He has the quality to cause Ipswich plenty of problems and help Sunderland come away with the points.

Nottingham Forest have been involved in plenty of tight games at home, with four of their last five EPL matches at the City Ground ending in a draw. We’re expecting another close one when Leeds United come to town on Sunday.

The betting market doesn’t see much between the sides either, with Forest sitting around $2.30. Leeds shouldn’t be overlooked, but this has all the makings of a game where neither team can find a way through.

It’s been a frustrating couple of seasons for Tottenham, and we’re not convinced things are about to turn around just yet.

That helps explain why Brentford are $2.40 favourites at home. There have been some positive signs from Brentford during the off-season, and they look like a side that could turn that into some decent results in 2026/27.

Tottenham have enough quality to make this a close contest, but we’re leaning towards Brentford to make home advantage count.

Brighton will be hoping home advantage can help them get the better of Aston Villa, and we’re backing the Seagulls to come away with all three points.

They didn’t finish last season particularly well, especially compared with Villa, but the break gives Brighton a chance to reset and come into the new campaign with a fresh approach.

A big part of the challenge will be keeping Ollie Watkins quiet. If Brighton can limit his touches and stay organised at the back, they should have enough to grind out a home win at $2.25 odds.

Manchester City didn’t exactly set the world on fire in the Community Shield, so we’re not expecting them to cruise past AFC Bournemouth in the opener. Instead, we’re happy to give Bournemouth a 2+ goal start.

City has the stronger squad, but can they click as a team? They struggled to create against Arsenal, which isn’t a good sign.

We’re still tipping City to get the job done, but we can see it being a tight one. A 2-1 result is enough to cash with Bournemouth +2.

Newcastle United and Liverpool look tough to split in our EPL best bets, and the fact this match is at St. James’ Park is enough to sway us towards the draw.

Liverpool might have the stronger squad on paper, but Newcastle is always a different team in front of their home crowd. They’ll also be keen to make a statement after losing Alexander Isak to Liverpool.

The $3.90 odds for a draw are worth including in EPL Gameweek 1 tips.

There’s nothing better than seeing a Cole Palmer celebration, and Fulham fans could be in for a long night if he’s on his game.

Chelsea have every chance of pushing for a top-four finish this season, and getting off to a strong start would give them plenty of confidence. Palmer could be a big part of that, with two goals in his last three EPL appearances.

After missing out on World Cup selection, Palmer should be keen to make an impact, so include him in EPL best bets.